Television viewers have long employed digital video recorders (DVRs) (sometimes referred to as personal video recorders (PVRs)) to record and store programs for viewing at a later, more convenient time. Typically, such devices are either integrated within a television set-top box (STB) for receiving signals via a cable or satellite television distribution network, or utilized as a standalone unit.
Unlike older videocassette recorders (VCRs), which used a removable video tape cartridge as a recording medium, most DVRs employ a non-removable hard disk drive for program storage. Moreover, most DVRs do not possess the ability to offload the programs stored therein to an external storage medium. Consequently, when the DVR is no longer in service, such as when the DVR or associated STB fails, or when the DVR or STB is a replaced with a different (e.g., newer) model, all recorded programs stored on the DVR typically become inaccessible to the viewer.